The present disclosure relates generally to furniture and more particularly to motion furniture with opposing side mechanisms.
Conventional motion furniture generally includes a frame having opposing side mechanisms joined together by cross-members that span between the side mechanisms. Each side mechanism includes a number of rigid linkage members connected at pivoting joints. During use, the side mechanisms may be actuated manually by a user or via an electromechanical drive unit on the frame. When the side mechanisms are actuated, the linkage members pivot and/or translate relative to one another, leading to a desired movement of the furniture. Such desired movements often include rocking, reclining, or raising or lowering a headrest or ottoman.
The side mechanisms in conventional motion furniture are commonly mirror images of each other, and the side mechanisms often move simultaneously in identical ranges of motion. To accommodate this simultaneous movement, cross-members spanning between the side mechanisms maintain a horizontal connection between opposing linkage members on opposite sides of the frame. Thus, when a cross-member is pushed, pulled or rotated during an actuation operation, corresponding motion is simultaneously imparted on both opposing side mechanisms. One type of cross-member used to impart motion is referred to as a drive tube.
Cross-members are typically secured at one end to the first side mechanism and at the opposite end to the second side mechanism. During assembly of the frame, each side mechanism is positioned upright in a jig or template at a desired orientation and spacing, and cross members are attached to the side mechanisms using any suitable attachment mode, including for example manual fixation of the cross-member to the side mechanisms using fasteners or a mechanical interference fit. Alternatively, during frame assembly, one or more cross-members may be installed spanning between opposing side members using automated industrial robots having suitable end of arm tooling to affix the cross-members to each side mechanism at the appropriate locations.
During both manual and automated frame assembly for motion furniture, it is generally desirable to reduce the number of physical operations any worker or automated robot must perform to further optimize the throughput and efficiency of the assembly line. For this reason, conventional side mechanisms are often configured in a suitable orientation for cross-member attachment prior to packaging and delivery to the assembly line. Upon delivery to the assembly line, it is desirable for a worker or an automated robot to be able to pick up first and second side mechanism units and place each unit on a template or jig for cross-member attachment without having to perform unnecessary operations on the side mechanism. However, in many situations, side mechanisms provided for frame assembly do not have uniformly aligned linkages across the entire mechanism. This problem requires workers or automated robots to identify any misalignments of linkage members in each side mechanism, and to reposition the misaligned linkage members in the proper orientation before proceeding with cross-member installation.
For example, in particular types of side mechanisms for motion furniture, some swing linkage members are often freely pivotable in the general plane of the side mechanism. These types of side mechanisms are delivered from the manufacturer with the swing linkage in a random orientation that is typically non-uniform across a batch. The swing linkage or an associated member often includes a socket that must be aligned with one or more corresponding holes on the side mechanism for insertion of a cross-member such as a drive tube. When the swing linkage is misaligned, the drive tube socket isn't aligned with its corresponding clearance holes as required for cross-member insertion. Thus, the cross-member cannot be installed until the swing linkage is properly rotated to its intended angular position such that the socket is aligned with all corresponding clearance to receive the cross-member.
The process of identifying misaligned linkage members in side mechanisms prior to cross-member installation is time consuming, requires additional steps in the assembly line, and reduces assembly line efficiency. Additionally, the task of identifying and re-positioning a linkage member such as a pivotable swing arm may be impossible to perform using automated industrial robots. In such circumstances, an automated frame assembly line may require manual swing arm alignment by a worker prior to subsequent automated operations by a robot. However, requiring a manual alignment step in an otherwise automated frame assembly operation is inefficient and undesirable.
What is needed are improvements in devices and methods for frame assembly in motion furniture.